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What if the healthiest version of you is just around the next corner? We know it can be daunting and overwhelming to consider everything you may need to do. What if starting today with a few small, meaningful steps could make dramatic changes happen in your life? Before we know it, the cold and flu months will be approaching, so now is the time to increase your body’s defenses and naturally boost your immune system. In this article, we’ll show you how.
Now, one of the points we focus on is what you may consider the low-hanging fruit. Many people are deficient in vitamins and minerals they need for optimal health and wellness. In our practice, we find that our patients often don’t know what their levels should be and that their medical doctors consider their labs normal, even if they fall in the low range. (1) Functional medicine is about optimizing your health. Let’s take a look at some of the supplement powerhouses you may not know about.
It may seem shocking, but over 40% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. (2) Why has this happened? Well, many of us work indoors and don’t get sun exposure during the day. Another factor is that we’ve been told for years now that the sun is bad for us and we need to slather on tons of sunscreen to protect ourselves. Over time, this has led to massive deficiencies.
We encourage our clients to spend at least thirty minutes a day outside and allow the sun to hit their skin. We don’t need to fear the sun. Not having optimal levels of D3 can lead to diseases and other chronic health issues. We recommend taking D3 with K2 because it supports bones and cardiovascular health. For most people, 5,000 IUs of quality vitamin D3 is sufficient.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is a game-changer for the immune system. We have recommended it for a long time for our patients experiencing respiratory viruses. It is inexpensive, and you can typically take low doses that are effective. There’s a good reason it has increased in popularity over the past few years, and one is because it is one of the best tools to fight off illnesses. (3) NAC improves the body’s immune function and stabilizes your blood sugar. Increased blood sugar causes a suppressed immune system.
Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that you can take to improve your health. It has increased in popularity because it can fight toxins, inflammation, and free radicals. It’s also very efficient at fighting off viruses. It’s also been found that Quercetin can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. (4)
Zinc is a mineral that is crucial for your immune system. It decreases the infection risk in elderly people, and fights virus replication. It may even decrease infection time. (5) For some reason, you don’t hear much about this in the media, but it is critical for immune function.
Now, this one can be a bit overhyped. Many people take copious amounts of this when they get sick, and it is important, but you may not need it in high doses. It can shorten the duration of viruses so it needs to be in your vitamin stack, especially for immune- boosting properties.
Now, you can always buy these supplements separately, but it can be hard for some people to take numerous vitamins and minerals each day. In our home, we use Immune Essentials, which contains all these in a clinical dose. It comes in a formula designed to boost your immune system so you stay healthy and if sick, get well faster.
Now, this may be one item that truly surprises you. Many people use chiropractors when they experience pain. What you may not realize is that the nervous system works with the body, and if the nerve pathways are compressed, it may weaken your immune system.
Chiropractic therapy can optimize how you feel and function. The research is ongoing, but one reason this holistic therapy is so beneficial may be the link between it and immune system function. Since a dysfunction in the body can result in illness, it’s crucial to keep your body healthy. Chiropractic care is not invasive, doesn’t take much time, and can greatly improve mobility. (6)
Don’t worry, we aren’t about to suggest you go on some crazy, cabbage soup diet for health. We believe there are natural foods that promote a healthy immune system. Let’s look at a few simple foods that can be an incredible addition to your diet.
Bone Broth is inexpensive, increases gut health, contains collagen and amino acids, and decreases the body’s inflammation. You can find it at any grocery store, and it’s a super easy way to get nutrients. You can also make it yourself at home if you’d prefer.
These fruits are rich in vitamin C and help boost immune function to fight off viral infections. These include oranges, limes, grapefruit, and lemons. You can squeeze them into your water for antioxidant health and add a little flavor to your daily hydration.
Not only is garlic delicious, but it also contains allicin and sulfur that can fight off diseases and illnesses. It’s so easy to consume in capsule form or add to all kinds of dishes.
You can whip up healthy smoothies with items like spinach, citrus fruits, and plain yogurt. It’s a super simple way to support gut and immune health.
Along with yogurt, you can enjoy probiotic-rich cheeses, pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. If you can’t eat enough of these foods, you can supplement with a quality probiotic. We always caution our patients not to use the products at their local grocery stores because they are likely not shelf-stable and won’t have any health benefits.
Ginger is amazing for stomach issues, sore throats, and decreasing pain. It also boosts your immunity and you can keep some around in syrup form and add it to foods and smoothies.
We realize red meat has gotten a lot of negative attention in the social media sphere lately, but the truth is that red meat is an excellent source of zinc, fights off infections, and contains numerous nutrients that boost your immune system.
You’ll notice that none of our suggestions contain expensive products or extreme diets. We don’t push our patients to buy handfuls of items that cost them money and don’t show results. If you’ve followed us for any time, you know we believe that true health only comes naturally. Our team understands how to help people have optimal wellness and if you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us to learn how functional medicine is the path to genuine health and healing.
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview https://www.rupahealth.com/post/what-causes-vitamin-d-deficiency https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8234027/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3991028/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6628855/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6722922/ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/garlic-fights-colds-and-flu https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4417560/
